Grace Mugabe offered model money to drop case, banned from leaving the country

Family of the South African 20-year-old model who was allegedly assaulted by Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe, in a Johannesburg hotel on Sunday, has claimed she had been approached with an offer of money from the first lady to drop the allegation.

The family made the claims at a press conference on Thursday held by civil rights group, Afriforum, a group now representing Gabriella Engels.

South African police have now issued a “red alert” to border posts to prevent Grace Mugabe, from leaving the country.
 
Gerrie Nel, the lawyer who is providing pro-bono representation for Gabriella Engels, said on Thursday said;

I was very impressed by the family saying for them it’s not about money, it’s not about paying an amount of money, receiving an amount of money so that the case would go away.

For them, it’s about justice and that impressed me because that is why we created this office: to ensure that justice is done and to ensure that they are no selective prosecutions. So certainly it impressed me that the family said they’re not interested at all,” Nel said.

He also said his client would launch a private prosecution against Mrs Mugabe if South African police did not bring a case.

From our point of view, we would expect at least a trial, or action within three months.

Gerrie Nel and family of  Miss Engels speaks during a press conference. Source: Phill Magakoe/AFP

The scandal has become a diplomatic mess for South Africa's government and Zimbabwe's 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe, who arrived in South Africa's capital late on Wednesday apparently to deal with the crisis.

South Africa's Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula said all borders had been notified to prevent Grace Mugabe from leaving the country before the matter is resolved reports , the African News Agency.

Engels had on Monday accused Grace Mugabe, 52 of attacking her with an extension cord in a luxury hotel in a Johannesburg suburb late on Sunday.

Engels said she was in a hotel room with mutual friends of Mugabe's two sons, who live in Johannesburg, when the first lady burst in and assaulted her. She posted photos of a bloody gash to her forehead that she claimed was a result of the encounter.

Grace initially agreed to hand herself over to police earlier this week, but was a no-show, and has now invoked diplomatic immunity to avoid prosecution.